Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Mumm’s the Word………………In Celebration Champagne

When the Tampa Bay Rays first got to Baltimore on September 22, 2008, one of the first thing Chris Westmoreland of the Tampa Bay Rays did was try and locate a local wine distributor and get his 20-some cases of the fine bubbly. He was able to find the cork-firing concoction and have it delivered to the Visitor’s Clubhouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The Rays unfortunately did not get to pop any corks or use their newly minted goggles in the Charm City, so Westy had to manuver to have the bubbly on hand again in Detroit for the series against the Tigers. The Rays left Baltimore on September 24th having swept all 4 games of the series, and that might have been a beer shower moment for the team, becuase the prize was on the horizon.

When they got into Mo-town, the team quickly got on the phone and even called a few distributors’ in Winsor before getting the needed beverage delivered to Comerica Park on Thursday afternoon, a few hours after the early day game had started. It is a good thing the team did not win that day, because the bubbly was not super cold and might not have the same effect on the skin and project as well into the air if warm or slightly cooled.

The team then had to endure another loss to the Tigers on Friday night, but a few players mingled behind their team mates and took in the Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees game in the clubhouse. About 12 p.m. the mad dash to get all the players back to the Visitors’ Clubhouse at Comerica Park was on. Some people went to the MGM Grand and watched the game in a sports bar in the lobby, others went to the team hotel or to restaurants, but were constantly checking their emails and web updates on ESPN.

At about 1 a.m. the entire team was again assembled in the small platici lined room and the party was on. The corks were flying a mile a minute and no one was safe from the barrage of cold champagne or warm Patron tequila being consumed and tossed around by all. I have now done 3 photo blogs about the celebrations, but the best ones are still to come. We do not know if they will happen this year, or in the future, but the Rays are certainly the talk of the MLB right now.

Nothing is better than to have a great bottle of champagne to pour on your friends and team mates after 10 seasons of futility. And the Rays have their personal favorite this year in G. H. Mumm’s Cordon Rouge Champagne. I am going to give you some insight into this great beverage and provide you with some expert advice on the Rays bubbly of choice here.

One review tells us that:

G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne is a complex blend of the best citrus and grape varieties that offer pungent, earthy aromas and creamy flavors that linger with richness on the finish. A bold expression of prestige and style, the Cordon Rouge with its distinctive red sash of the French Legion of Honor, is one of the world’s most popular champagnes. Try G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne, it makes any occasion even more special.

Still another wine review tells us about the Mumm’s Cordon Rouge:

G.H. Mumms Champagne Cordon Rouge Brut NV, 12%.: This bottle was quite likely two years old or more, from what the distributor rep who sold it to my predecessor tells me. I brought this one home to check out the condition of the wine, due to water damage to the labels that made it impossible to sell, and I was happy to find that what is in the bottle is doing just fine.

Medium straw in color, with an active bead and plenty of froth in the mouth; the nose is all flint and unbuttered popcorn, with more of the same on the palate, anchored with a solid core of under-ripe apple and a hint of bread dough underneath it all. It shows good intensity on every level, with plenty of nervosity and good length on the finish. It’s somewhat ironic that I brought this home when I did, because I read some rather unkind remarks directed towards Cordon Rouge on some internet wine forums with regard to being in the Tigers’ clubhouse for both of their playoff celebrations, but we found it to be just fine, and even if it’s not the best Champagne around for the money, it still kicks Veuve Clicquot’s yellow *** every day of the year. But then, I suppose that’s not saying much…

And what would a baseball game be without at least 3 pitches at the plate:

A worthy exemplar of G.H. Mumm’s quest for excellence, Mumm Cordon Rouge is a distinctively fresh, full-bodied champagne with impeccable consistency of taste. Emblematic of the richness and finesse that characterise the company’s own vineyards, Cordon Rouge has worn its famous red ribbon since 1876, now synonymous with house’s credo of superlative quality.Mumm Cordon Rouge has become an icon of the champagne category and epitomises Georges Hermann de Mumm’s maxim of “Only the best”.

Wow, that last review was from the Mumm’s.com website and was a slam right out of the old ballpark. So as you can see, the champagne picked by the Rays to the beverage of the moment is actually a great vintage and could be just as great on a upcoming Anniversary, wedding or even a World Series celebration. You can purchase the Mumm’s Cordon Rouge Brut Champagne at most wine stores in the area, and can also get a bottle online if you do not want to travel the city looking for your own bottle of celebration.

I have one hidden that no one knows about in the house just in case we have a reason to celebrate in the next 7 games. And just like the Rays, it will taste sweet and worth every penny, even if most of it will never reach my lips.

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